


Comfort and Honesty

by NoOneKnowsIWriteThis



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post-Episode: s05e16 Doctor Bashir I Presume, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 22:06:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12419193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoOneKnowsIWriteThis/pseuds/NoOneKnowsIWriteThis
Summary: After a night of celebration, Julian finally tells his first friend on the station the truth. Pure fluff.-It's gen, but you can read it as pre-slash if you want.





	Comfort and Honesty

Julian awoke in an unfamiliar room with a pounding headache. He groaned as he slowly pushed himself up on the couch he'd been sleeping on, the light blanket that had been draped over him slipped off his chest to pool around his hips. His uniform was still unwrinkled, despite being slept in.

 

Some of the events of the previous day came back to him. He'd been allowed to remain in Starfleet and his parents had finally left the station. Miles and Jadzia had insisted on celebrating and dragged him to Quark's where drink after drink had been placed in front of him. That didn't explain where he'd ended up though. These weren't his quarters, and they certainly weren't Miles's, and he felt fairly confident that they weren't Jadzia's either.

 

“Ah, you're awake,” a voice said quietly. Julian looked up to see Garak holding out a glass of water. Julian gave a pained smile in thanks and accepted the drink gratefully. As he downed it, Garak made his way to the replicator. “Do you want anything else?” Somehow, despite being soft, Garak's voice carried so that Julian could hear it clearly.

 

“Bashir formula B-3,” Julian called, speaking louder so that the replicator would pick up on it. Garak raised a curious eye ridge as a hypospray appeared, but brought it across the room and handed it to Julian, who quickly pressed it to his neck and activated it.

 

While Julian waited the few minutes it would take for the shot to kick in, Garak took the empty hypo and went back to the replicator. He returned with a plate of scones and moba jam as well as a mug of red leaf tea that he placed on the table in front of Julian. Julian managed a properly grateful look as his stomach growled. He quickly spread some jam onto one of the scones and began to devour it, ignoring Garak's look of amusement.

 

“Garak,” Julian began before taking a sip of his tea, “how did I end up here? The last I can remember I was in Quark's with Jadzia and Miles.”

 

Garak chuckled. “Yes, you were quite inebriated when you showed up at my door.” Julian hummed a concession as he began to eat another scone. “Nothing much happened. You claimed to have something important to tell me, but then you got lost in recounting your evening with Commander Dax and the chief before you drifted off on the couch.”

 

Julian sipped his tea before letting out a sigh. “I suppose I should start with what I wanted to tell you then...” The light in his eyes dulled and his grip on the mug tightened until his knuckles became white. “My parents decided at a young age that their only son was a failure, so they had him genetically enhanced.” Julian's eyes flickered briefly to meet Garak's. “Augments aren't allowed to practice medicine in the Federation, or to join Starfleet, but I did anyway. I wanted to be a doctor for...for as long as I can remember. Even before...” Julian bit his lip and placed his mug on the table with a light clink. “Um. So, long story short, I was found out, but I'm going to get to keep my job. That's why Miles and Jadzia dragged me out to celebrate last night.” Garak nodded, his expression unreadable. So Julian continued, “I...I wanted you to hear it from me, before it became common knowledge. You were my first proper friend on the station, after all.” Julian looked at Garak. “If you're upset with me, I'll understand.” Julian paused. Garak was still silent. “...Please say something.”

 

“Doctor,” Garak said finally, a genuine smile quickly growing on his face, “I'm delighted to learn that you have a talent for this kind of long-term deception.” Julian blushed with obvious discomfort at the praise. “If I may, what exactly about you was...” Garak gestured with his hand.

 

“Enhanced? Most things. Intelligence was the focus, but they did physical attributes as well.” Julian let out a sigh. “My strength and reflexes are closer to those of a Vulcan than a Human.”

 

“Is that right?” Garak slowly looked Julian over, clearly reevaluating the man before him.

 

“I would never hurt you,” Julian said quickly, before awkwardly biting his lip and adding, “unless I had to.” Garak smirked as his finger tapped with obviously false nonchalance against the spot on his neck where Julian's bullet had grazed him in that secret agent program. Julian glanced away uncomfortably.

 

“I know, my dear,” Garak said soothingly as he sat beside Julian on the couch. “I suspect I'll find that you are the same sweet young man you always were.”

 

Julian smiled warmly at him. “I don't know if you're just saying that to comfort me or if you actually mean that, but thank you, Garak.”

 

Garak placed his hand on Julian's upper arm, just off of his shoulder. “In this moment, my dear doctor, I am being completely honest with you.”

 

A chuckle escaped Julian's lips. “I suppose there's a first time for everything.”

 

“Do you truly believe this is the first time I've ever been honest with you?” Garak asked, clearly amused.

 

“No, no,” Julian said quickly. “But it's the first time we've both been completely honest with each other.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I just needed to take a break from the conflicted stuff that I'm currently writing and produce some fluff. I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
